“What is journalism?” - Perceptions of journalism students in the 21st century

Abstract

In this article, we analyse, interpret and discuss the results of a survey carried out in the academic year of 2019-2020, whose aim was to capture the perceptions of School of Communication and Media Studies undergraduate and master journalism students about the journalistic field. This research is part of a broader work project that includes other institutions and similar courses. It is structured in three dimen- sions: diagnosis, intentions and expectations. In the first, the questions focus on the student’s perception of what journalism is today and its role in society; the second refers to the way in which students project their intervention in the public debate as future journalists and / or academic researchers; the third dimension challenges stu- dents to point out expectations about journalism that arises from the upheavals of the public, political and civic space. The article presents students’ perceptions of funda- mental topics that support the answers to the question that has guided various aca- demic’s researches, and which gives a title to one of Nelson Traquina’s most known works: “What is journalism?”. We will assume this work as the main theoretical frame.